Sometimes, when fishing isn't so great, it is easy to spot the leader, and that title this week goes to the Daytona Beach Pier.

According to Capt. Todd Wynn, from The Fishin' Hole in downtown Daytona Beach, the Daytona Beach Pier has been a fisherman's paradise, especially when it comes to trout.

Wynn, of limitlesscharters.com, said the trout bite has been really strong, reporting spots from 17 to 25 inches in length.

“And, they are thick and heavy,” he added.

Anglers have also enjoyed some blues, a few reds and keeper pompano. There is one aggravating development on these planks. Giant sheepshead — 4 to 6 pounds — are swimming around the pilings but not taking the bait because they are more interested in spawning.

At the Sunglow Pier in Daytona Beach Shores, Rhonda Nelson said it's hot one day and not the next. She said the primary bite has been whiting and blues. The tote board at the Flagler Beach Pier shows black drum, whiting, blues, sheepshead and reds being pulled from the ocean this week.

Offshore

Wynn said bottom fishing has been strong, but anglers are catching few species they may keep.

“It's been a little slow out there,” he said. “The weather hasn't been good. Bottom fishing has been steady, but you can't keep much of anything you catch, unless maybe you hook a mermaid.”

Trollers have snatched wahoo and dolphin, and there have been some keeper cobia and triggerfish mixed in the bottom-fishing catch.

Ponce Inlet & Halifax River

Capt. Scott Blanford, of badjujucharters.com, has been busy fish-hunting this week. He said sheepshead are still the species to target in the inlet area.

“High tide seems to be working,” Blanford said. “If you plan accordingly, you should get slow-moving water for an hour before it switches and another hour after. Use fiddler crabs. Pinfish and small snapper make shrimp a frustrating bait to use.”

Blanford offered this advice to fish the river this weekend.

“If the south wind subsides, expect the docks to be good during higher tides,” he said. “Flounder are the best bite, but reds, black drum, trout, and sheepshead make appearances. If it's blowing hard down the river, the water churns and the fish never get active.”

Tomoka Basin & Tomoka River

Wynn and Blanford agree this has been a productive area the last week.

“They're picking up some really good reds up there,” Wynn said. “We're seeing a lot of smaller reds and trout and lots of mangrove snapper. That's kind of unusual. The fishing patterns have changed as a result of the way the temperatures changed this winter.”

And there's this from Blanford about the weekend prospects in the Tomoka area.

“As the moon fades, the morning bite should pick up,” he said. “Snapper are the most consistent bite. Keepers are finally here after a three-year hiatus. Live shrimp will catch all sizes, but if you just want the bigger snappers, fish small finger mullet or mud minnows.”

“Catching a ton of them,” he said. “They are catching them somewhere in Haulover Canal.”

Unlike the amorous sheepshead at the Daytona Pier, the striped fish in this area are more interested in fiddler crabs. Noel said he is having a hard time meeting the fiddler demand.

“Most of our captains are starting to fish in the evening and into the night,” he said. “Fish are feeding at night.”

Matanzas Inlet & Matanzas River

Karen Miles, at Devil's Elbow Fish Camp just north of the Flagler County border, said the water in this area is unusually clear.

“It looks like the Florida Keys up here,” she said of the water quality. “You can see what you are going to catch.”

Unfortunately, the catch is undersized trout and reds with some blues and sheepshead thrown into the mix.

“This is a perfect situation for impatient fishermen,” Miles said. “People are losing bait and casting nonstop. This is a great time to take kids fishing.”

St. Johns River

All good things must come to an end, or at least a slowdown.

That is the story at Highland Park Fish Camp in DeLand, which has seen a record fishing season to date.

“The speckled perch bite has slowed down just as we came out the full moon,” Capt. Bryn Rawlins said. “They eat at night and that puts them out of sync. We're still having people come back with a dozen fish here and there.”

Bass fishing is crazy good in the main St. Johns River. Largemouth are gobbling down wild shiners.